Lagos — Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey, yesterday said developing countries would face a major health crisis, unless stringent measures were taken to stop dumping of toxic wastes in their territories.

Odey gave the warning at the on-going EU/African Environment Ministers' meeting in Nairobi.

A statement issued by Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Mr Rotimi Ajayi, quoted the minister as saying that dumping of the hazardous chemicals in the countries posed great danger to health of their citizens.

He noted in the statement e-mailed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, that uncontrolled exposure and disposal methods of toxic wastes could cause brain damage and impair the peoples' reproductive systems and kidneys.

Odey, however, noted that the chemicals, some of which were components of computers, electronic devices and batteries, came into Nigeria and other developing nations through importation of electronic products.

"The government of Nigeria is of the strong view that we cannot maintain the status quo of voluntary measures in dealing with the menace of mercury, both at the level of environment and human health", he said.

"It is for these reasons that Nigeria strongly believes that stringent control actions at the global level must be put in place to address the challenges of mercury. As regards lead and cadmium, studies have shown significant data gaps in developing countries that need to be filled, particularly in relation to trade in products and waste management," he said

Odey called for sustained data collection by stakeholders, to develop an inventory of existing risk-management measures, in relation to lead and cadmium.